WNBA Indiana Fever

3-Pointers and Third Quarter Propel Connecticut Past Indiana, 88-77

Published on May 28, 2019 under Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA)
Indiana Fever News Release


UNCASVILLE, Conn. - Jonquel Jones scored 25 points and keyed a third-quarter Connecticut burst as the Sun beat the Indiana Fever 88-77 at Mohegan Sun Arena.

Connecticut hit five straight 3-pointers in the third quarter to open what had been a see-saw battle and build their largest lead of the game. Jones and Jasmine Thomas each hit a pair of 3-pointers during the run and Rachel Banham, straight off the bench, hit one. Banham canned a pair of free throws to lift the Sun lead to 61-56, the largest of the game, with 3:01 left in the third.

Connecticut made five of its nine three-point attempts in the third quarter and hit 10-of-22 for the game and the Sun stayed unbeaten (2-0). Indiana evened its schedule at 1-1, falling on the road to the Sun for the sixth straight time.

Indiana pulled to within 70-64 behind the sharpshooting of point guard Erica Wheeler, but never got closer. Wheeler finished with a game-high 26 points on 11-of-15 shooting. She was 4-of-6 from long distance and added nine assists, flirting with the Fever's first points-assists double-double since 2011. It was the second-highest scoring figure of Wheeler's career.

Wheeler was joined in the scoring column by 14th-year pro Candice Dupree who scored 18 points and added seven rebounds. The duo combined for 44 points on 74 percent shooting (20-of-27). Natalie Achonwa also scored in double figures for Indiana with 10 points.

"I saw some positive things." said Fever coach Pokey Chatman, whose team was outrebounded 37-26 and reached the free throw line just three times. "We executed out of our half-court offense and we got points in transition. But Connecticut punished us with their half-court game."

Talking about Dupree and Wheeler, Chatman added: "Candice is that savvy, poised vet. Wheeler is kind of what the game is becoming - that point guard that can score, but she also had nine assists tonight."

The first half featured 13 lead changes and six ties, with neither team leading by more than five points until the Sun opened an 8-point advantage by scoring seven of the first nine points after halftime.

The Fever return to Indianapolis to launch their home schedule on Saturday, June 1 with a 20th Anniversary Celebration delivered by Papa John's, in a 7:00 p.m. tipoff against New York. Played on the same date as the franchise's first game in 2000, the first 2,000 fans receive a commemorative 20th Anniversary t-shirt.

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